Middleism.org

Dispensationalism.

The dispensational system is rooted
in the teachings of John Nelson Darby in Ireland and
popularized by James Cyrus Ingerson Scofield in the United
States in the late 1800’s. Darby’s departure from the Church
of England led to his joining a group that later formed the
Plymouth Brethren under his auspices. Through a personal
revelation about the distinct natures of the church and
Israel, Darby developed Dispensationalism. His doctrine was
organized by covenants and ages or “dispensations”, in which
he believed God dealt with people differently. In 1888
Scofield published Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth,
which was an expository explanation of the dispensational
system. In 1890 he developed the Scofield correspondence
course to teach Dispensationalism at his church, and in 1902
he began work on the Scofield Bible. In 1909 Oxford
University Press published The Scofield Reference Bible,
which entailed a set of chain references, going from
verse to verse, with headings and commentary.

The six key features of his teachings
are: a dichotomy
between Israel and the Church in which he argued that God
still dealt with Israel’s salvation differently from the
Church. When Israel is mentioned in the New Testament it is
meant to mean “ethnic Israel”, the literal people distinct
from Gentiles. Gentiles are the church, which is the body of
Christ. The true church, which does not include all gentiles
but only those who are living a holy life with the Holy
Spirit working in their lives, were the true church. Only
the “true Church” becomes the bride of Christ.

It should be noted at this point, the
origin of every cult, heretical teaching, or “false
teaching” began with one or two people claiming a direct or
personal revelation of truth that was never formally known
or understood by the church. Darby also had absolutely no
formal theological training. Another key factor was the position
to interpret the Bible literally, considering the different
genres, and holding to a Historical-Grammatical Hermeneutic.
With the promises made to Israel Only, the church cannot be
part of the fulfillment of these promises. Therefore, the
Church and Israel are on two different tracks. The
distinction is that Israel has a “Gospel of the kingdom”
while the church has a “Gospel of Grace”. This distinction is the heart of disagreement among
theologians

The other three points focus on the
idea the Kingdom was postponed due to Israel rejection of
the New Covenant, a restricted view of the Church, and the
rapture of the church Pre-Tribulation since the promises to
Israel are being fulfilled in the coming Millennial Kingdom.

Error #1 The First Resurrection of Rev 20

"I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who
had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its
mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ for a thousand years...

This is the
first resurrection." Rev 20:4,5
Logic: The First Resurrection of the Dead happens at his coming, it is the Just who are raised.
This first Resurrection includes those who were "beheaded for not
taking the mark of the beast" - Therefore there can be no prior
Resurrection of the dead happening seven years before or we would
call that Resurrection "THE FIRST". The Rapture of the Saints, and
of the Dead in Christ who are raised, BOTH groups meet Him in the
air, at His coming, is the FIRST, not second. By placing a
Resurrection at the beginning of the Tribulation, forces there to be
"3" Resurrections of the dead, but the Bible speaks of only two; of
the just and unjust.

Error #2 son of man coming on clouds

The Olivet, not having a promise of a Second Coming,(error 1) then forces the
context to remain fulfilled in A.D. 70 as the Early Church Father
all believed the Olivet was fulfilled in A.D. 70, and the second
coming still future. The whole context is based on the idea
Jesus saying, "Not one stone will be left upon another - all of the
blood spilt of Abel to Zechariah, will be required of this
Generation". The Great Tribulation being spoken about is that
of Jerusalem ONLY!! The context of Revelation is of Judgment upon the
whole world and in no place is Jerusalem judged and destroyed for any
sin, since her judgment came upon her in A.D. 70. Preterism forces
A.D. 70 to be the fulfillment of both the Olivet and Revelation.
Dispensationalism forces the Olivet and Revelation all in the
future. The Early Church Fathers all put the Olivet passed, and all of Revelation
future.

Error #3 - Zechariah 12, 14

It is the opening verses of Zechariah 12 and
14 which begins with a narrative of the siege at Jerusalem which was
literally fulfilled in A.D. 70, is the last decree of destruction to
go against her based on Biblical historical evidence. It is the last
declaration made under the Old Testament parameters directly naming
her as the recipient of God’s judgment. We find no declaration of
judgment against Jerusalem in the Epistles. With the end of the
canon of scriptures no other decree from God exists. There are no
scriptures found in Revelation that decries Jerusalem destruction
for “apostasy”, the common cause of past judgments. The first part
of the book deals with judgment on the church, not Israel.
Revelation being apocalyptic language, somewhere we should find Old
Testament language in conjunction with a decree against Jerusalem.
Instead we find reference to her as “the place where our Lord was
crucified” (Revelation 11) and “The camp of the saints, the city he
loves” (Revelation 20). The focus is that of the beast and his
kingdom which we find mentioned in Daniel 7:23 “and this kingdom of
the beast is unlike any kingdom on earth and will devour the whole
earth”, which defies any association with Israel or Jerusalem,
especially of A.D. 70. If we hold to the late date of Revelation
authorship the distance between the events of A.D. 70 and Revelation
scenario become insurmountable, in fact becomes an impossibility to
harmonize of what is to come “soon”.

God never challenged us to be faithful to a system of
Interpretation or for any system to be created based on
presupposition but to allow the word of God to speak . As we come to
understand the individual pieces and weave them together a beautiful
tapestry begins to emerge.

One of the major errors of Preterism and Dispensationalism is
not only that they are a "new" system created in recent years but
are both founded by men imposing an unnatural structure upon
scriptures in an attempt to reconcile personal beliefs with
scriptures. The personal beliefs although maybe well intended still
remain problematic. It is a thing seen repeated over the years;
Oneness, Jesus Only, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, - men with
personal visions of grandeur with no accountability. David Koresh,
Jim Jones White, Hubbard, Stone - Campbell.

Every one
aberrant because they received a personal revelation that was never
ever given to another person but them. Its the foundation of
Mormonism, they alone arrived at this truth as it was revealed to
them alone. In any one foundational point a mistake is made and the
building is constructed upon that mistake, while it may not crumble
as they build it will always be of kilter, unsound, and unsafe for
human habitation. Instead of abandoning the structure these systems
create buttresses to explain away the problem and people believe it.

Paul warned us that in the last days people would not hold to
sound teaching but instead go after doctrines of demons and chase
after myths.

I wish to be clear "Middleism" is not a new
system but clings to the tradition of the Historical Christian faith
and to the Early Church Fathers of the first - second century
church. Does Dispensationalism destroy peoples faith or leads to
a shipwreck of faith? No, the problem is many do not accept that
Tribulation will be "soon" upon them. Confusion, disappointment, and
despair follows those are unprepared.

Error #4 A rebuilt Temple

Based on Old Testament passages from Ezekiel and Isaiah, the idea
is embraced that there will be a rebuilding of the temple in
Jerusalem and that sacrifices will be reinstated during the
Tribulation period and the sacrificial system will extend into the
Millennial kingdom. The first problem of a rebuilt temple in
Jerusalem is required so that it can be torn down again by the Beast
based on the Olivet discourse. The problem is that in Revelation a
temple or is Jerusalem ever destroyed based on the promises of
Zechariah 12, 14. Secondly, a reinstitution of the Temple
sacrificial system creates a theological problem. If Christ has paid
the price for our sins then no further sacrifice is needed. In the
Dispensational thinking the sacrifices are need for "ceremonial'
cleansing so that people can approach Jesus. The problem with that
of course there is no reason to cleansed any further as his blood
was adequate to forgive us of all our sins and make us righteous
before him so that we can boldly enter into the throne room.